Deeper Than The Surface
by videle
Summary: Where fem!Tony Stark is complaining about Arc Reactor pains, and the team doesn't know it's INSIDE her, so they assume she's complaining about her breasts.


/  
 _Title:_ Deeper Than The Surface  
 _Author:_ videle  
 _Rating:_ T+  
 _Summary:_ Fem!Toni is complaining about Arc Reactor pains and the team has no idea the Arc Reactor is actually IN her chest so they assume she's talking about her breasts.  
 _Pairing:_ Gen/No romantic pairings

The moment Toni woke up, she knew it'd be one of _those_ days. She felt beyond exhausted, with her eyes constantly drooping shut and her lips always parting in an obnoxious yawn. The Arc Reactor was painful in her chest, rubbing uncomfortably against the surface of her chest, and everything nearby underneath.

Toni reluctantly got out of bed, holding the Arc Reactor to keep it from shifting around. _Note to self: fix that_.

She didn't bother getting dressed into anything fancy. Believe it or not, she's human as well. So instead, she pulled on a long-sleeved shirt and left her bedroom.

Toni let out another loud yawn as she ambled into the kitchen, where the other Avengers were already seated. Glancing at the clock on the stove, she realized it was almost noon.

"Look who's finally awake," Natasha murmured, sipping her coffee with a cocked eyebrow.

Toni hummed, lazily heading towards the coffee machine and pouring herself a very big cup of coffee. She turned to the table when done, and noticed Steve blushing with his head down, Bruce staring at the wall in front of him, and Clint snorting into his drink.

Glancing down, Toni noticed she was wearing nothing more than her long-sleeved shirt and underwear.

 _'Whatever,'_ she thought. _'Too tired to give a shit.'_

Toni plopped down in her seat, wincing as the Arc Reactor moved in her chest. She quickly downed some of her coffee, trying to wake up and find some way to get over the pain and discomfort.

Five minutes in, and she was groaning.

"Toni, please stop," Natasha huffed, crossing her arms.

Toni had her head down on the table, elbows resting on the expensive wood platform as well. The brunette muttered to herself, saying something that sounded suspiciously like "fuck off".

"It hurt _ssss_ ," she groaned.

"What does?" Bruce asked.

"My CHEST! What else?!" Toni snapped.

Steve turned his head back to his coffee, a new blush taking over. Clint snorted again, Natasha quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, and Bruce blinked.

"Why?" Natasha queried.

"If I KNEW, I would FIX IT!"

Pepper came ambling into the kitchen, already clad in her formal business attire. Toni snapped her head up, trying not to flinch at yet another flare of pain in her chest.

"PEP!" Toni gasped. "C'mere."

Pepper sighed, strolling over to Toni and patting her shoulder. "Good morning, everyone," she smiled, earning several responses. "What's wrong, Toni?"

"Hurtssss."

"What does?"

"My friggin' CHEST! What else?!" Toni retorted, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Pepper seemed to understand, though, and rubbed Toni's back. "Want some painkillers?" she asked softly.

"Nooo."

"Oh, so you just want to complain?" the ginger-haired woman laughed.

"Yes."

"Toni, can we please not hear this," Clint chuckled.

"Seconded."

"Third-ed."

"HEY!" the billionaire exclaimed. "I'd like to see _you guys_ handle this."

"I already have," Natasha shrugged.

"You have?!" Toni gaped. "WHEN?"

Natasha laughed. "A while ago. Chest pains aren't uncommon," she explained.

Toni stared at her with a strange expression on her face.

Steve groaned, dropping his head on the table. "Okay, that's enough. I'd prefer not to hear about... these  
problems."

"Steve, you need to grow up," Natasha scoffed. "Women complaining about their breasts isn't that peculiar."

"WAIT WHAT!" Toni screeched. Pepper looked just as confused as Toni. "You think I'm complaining about my freakin' BOOBS?"

"Uh..."

"That's STUPID!" the brunette groaned. "If only it were that simple."

Pepper hummed in agreement, while the Avengers just stared in confusion at the pair. They all blinked slowly, including Natasha, who usually wasn't all that surprised. Well, she wasn't really _surprised_. More intrigued.

"So... why the chest pains?" Steve asked awkwardly.

Toni looked at them all for a moment, mouth agape and eyebrows raised. Finally, she muttered, "You are all fucking idiots."

"How do you guys not know about Toni's problem?!" Pepper gasped. "Doesn't SHIELD have files or something?"

"They do," Bruce shrugged. "But Toni hacks and edits them all the time."

"And you know this because...?"

"Mine says 'Jolly Green' and 'Green Bean'," Bruce admitted, throwing an amused look at Toni, who smiled innocently.

Pepper sighed, rolling her eyes. She then turned to Toni, who flinched as her Arc Reactor shifted again. "Toni, how have you NOT told them? Bruce could help you with it, being a doctor and scientist and whatnot."

"Wait, Toni needs a doctor?" Steve queried.

"No, I do _not_!" Toni groaned.

Finally, the brunette stood from the table, finding amusement at the same time as a couple of them blushed and ducked their heads at her lack of pants.

Toni hesitated slightly, then reminded herself that it shouldn't matter if they knew about the Arc Reactor. Didn't Fury already know about it? And he didn't give a shit?

The billionaire eventually just lifted her shirt up, past her chest, and to her armpits.

"Toni!" Clint screeched. "No flashing!"

"Oh, shut up and look, Legolas," Toni snapped. "And hurry it up. This hurts enough as it does."

The team finally picked their gazes back up to Toni, who held her long-sleeved shirt up to her armpits. She still wore a sports bra underneath, which had a V-shape cut into it so her Arc Reactor didn't get caught on the fabric. The flesh around the perimeter of the Arc Reactor was inflamed, along with a few black veins from leftover of the palladium poisoning.

"Holy. Shit."

"Toni," Bruce breathed. "I knew you had something keeping you alive, but..."

"...But you didn't expect it to be a big hunk of metal," Toni finished sarcastically. "Usually I would be flattered by how long superheroes are staring at my chest, but... this is kinda uncomfortable."

Not even Steve could blush as he stared at the glowing circle. They all looked intrigued, horrified, and worried.

"It's actually... _inside_ you?!" Clint exclaimed.

"A little bit..."

"Tony, if that thing's protecting your heart," Bruce whispered. "It's got to be past your ribcage, and-and your lungs-how DEEP is that thing?!"

Toni fidgeted uncomfortably. "Er... approximately five inches."

"THAT is the thing keeping you alive?" Steve choked out. "It looks like it's killing you!"

"I'm actually wishing you were talking about your boobs, now," Natasha mumbled.

"How does it work?" Bruce queried.

"Uh, it's an electromagnet," Toni explained, lowering her shirt. "It keeps shrapnel from entering my heart. It can usually power enough for fifty lifetimes, but when I use it for the Iron Man suit, then I have to replace it sometimes. And with new models..." She trailed off.

"Damn, and I thought _I_ had problems," Clint whispered to Natasha.

"I heard that, Birdbrain!" Toni growled.

A moment of silence reigned the room, except for when Toni returned to her seat at the table. Pepper coughed awkwardly, and rubbed the brunette's back.

"Oh, and _don't_ start treating me like a damsel in distress," Toni snapped.

The team smiled, letting yet another Toni-remark lighten the mood. Clint snorted and muttered, "Not even in your nightmares, Toni."

/


End file.
